Battle of Lanling

The Battle of Lanling was fought in 193 AD when the invading army of Cao Cao conquered the farming town of Lanling in Xu Province from Tao Qian's forces as part of the greater Battle of Xu Province.

Background
In 193 AD, Cao Cao declared war on Tao Qian to avenge the death of his father Cao Song at the hands of Tao Qian's renegade general Zhang Kai. After securing the temple of Pengcheng from Huang Shao's Yellow Turbans, Cao Cao and his cousins Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan marched their army southwest towards Lanling, a farming town in Pengcheng Commandery. His army laid siege to the farmland, which was protected by 481 militia troops under Lin Ju. As there was no general officer available to negotiate a surrender, Cao Cao was forced to assault the town.

Battle
Cao Cao an his army of 1,457 troops faced a smaller peasant militia force of 481 troops which took up positions on a hilltop in front of the town's farmlands. His army charged at the hilltop from three sides, with his melee infantry attacking the front row of Tao Qian's troops and his cavalry attempting to flank them. While the units at the top of the hill repelled the cavalry, Cao Cao's infantry forces overwhelmed Tao Qian's peasant militia, and they were utimately slaughtered and forced to flee in all directions. The farmers were forced to flee as Cao Cao's troops rushed across their crop fields in pursuit of Tao Qian's defeated army, and Cao Cao was left with control of the farmland, giving him control of two-thirds of Pengcheng Commandery (the other third was held by the neutral warlord Wang Lang). With Lanling secured, only the city of Donghai stood in Cao Cao's path as he took on his rival Tao Qian in a final battle.